Free Range
Emu Farm

Toodyay, 6566 West Aust
ABN 20 608 808 281

History

Wiluna Emu farm began in 1976-77 run by Applied Ecology Pty Ltd where Kip Venn was employed to help with research and farm management.

In 1980, in conjunction with CSIRO Kip and his wife Charmian began further research into emus at their property in Toodyay Western Australia, 90 kilometres from Perth.

In 1987 kip and Charmian's Free Range Emu Enterprise was one of four to be granted the first commrecial licence to farm emus in Australia.

Their initial flock of 100 emus saw them produce 1000 chicks a year, as well as all the products inclufding emu oil, meat, feathers, eggs and leather.

Their farm at Toodyay opened to the public in 1991.

Kip and his wife, Charmian, took a bit of ribbing from neighbours when they started raising emus on their farm. They realised that emus are much easier to raise than sheep and would eventually be a lot more profitable.

The Venns call their property "The Free Range Emu Farm" and usually run approximately 600 emus - producing 200 chicks each year. Emus take up half the space of pasture land than sheep and will graze on land that sheep won't touch.

Once the farm was operating, they found that they were having so many visitors, they started charging admission for tours. They have more than 3000 visitors per year. As time went on, Kip Venn and other farmers formed their own marketing co-operative - Western Emu.